The Mets could not have scripted a game more pleasing to them than the 6-0 triumph over Washington. There was so much to like, but the three main elements were that:

1) Jose Reyes returned to the lineup healthy and resembled the player who was a force in the first half of last season. The Mets didnât have a triple until Tuesday night. They do now.

2) Mike Pelfrey (pictured) was the author of seven shutout innings. He looked, more than ever, like the pitcher the Mets thought they had drafted in the first round. It is not just that Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez are out that makes Pelfrey so important, but also that Martinez, Hernandez and Oliver Perez are free agents after this season.

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